Deborah and Ron Yoho are having a new house built in Ellersly, a new subdivision of green, sustainably built homes in Kingston Springs. / Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean

Written by

Bill Lewis

For The Tennessean

Quick facts

• 83 percent of Cheatham County’s workforce commutes to Nashville or another county • Development tax was $3,750, now reduced to $50 • $1 per square foot adequate facilities tax now reduced to 10 cents per square foot

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When Ron and Deborah Yoho couldn’t find a house they wanted in Bellevue, they looked a few miles farther west along I-40 and discovered Ellersly, a community of sustainably built, age-in-place homes in Kingston Springs.

After their new home is completed, the Yohos will be among the first residents in Ellersly. But they expect to meet more new neighbors as others discover Kingston Springs. The community had just 2,756 residents during the 2010 census but, with a location about 20 miles from downtown Nashville and quick commuter access to I-40 and Highway 70, it is poised for growth.

“We love Kingston Springs because it isn’t too big and has a country feel without being too far from town,” said Deborah Yoho, a nurse whose daily commute to St. Thomas hospital takes just 30 minutes.

Kingston Springs and other communities in Cheatham County can look forward to more growth now that the county has slashed its steep development tax, said Daryl Phillips, the county’s director of economic and community development.

“As Nashville grows, it literally is going to come our way,” he said.

The tax, which required developers to pay $3,750 for every home they built, was recently reduced to $50. Another development tax was reduced to 10 cents per square foot. It previously was $1 per square foot.

“Cheatham County growth had really slowed and was slower than other counties surrounding Nashville,” Phillips said. “There was a desire to be more welcoming for good, quality, sustainable development. We certainly didn’t want to be seen as having a closed door.”

Jay Lowenthal, a Realtor for Zeitlin & Co. Realtors in Nashville, believes Kingston Springs and Ellersly will appeal to down-sizers, families and first-time buyers who want to live outside — but not too far from — the city.

Grocery stores and other conveniences are nearby in Bellevue. Major shopping is available at Nashville West Shopping Center along Charlotte Pike. A public golf course, dining and outdoor activities are nearby at Montgomery Bell State Park. The Golf Club of Tennessee, a private club, is in Kingston Springs.

For an evening stroll, residents can take their pet to the Kingston Springs dog park. The park also has water features to entertain the kids, Lowenthal said.

“You’ve got all the things people look for in other suburban areas. It’s just not as developed as other areas,” said Lowenthal, who compared Kingston Springs to Mt. Juliet 20 or 30 years ago.

“It’s an opportunity to get in on the ground floor,” he said. “Remember, somebody developed Providence,” the master-planned development in Mt. Juliet that includes homes, shopping, dining and entertainment.

Green community

The Yohos are moving to Ellersly from another Kingston Springs neighborhood, where a buyer snapped up their home after they put it on the market.

At Ellersly, home buyers like the Yohos are discovering a sustainable, energy-efficient and walkable community, said Ron Merville, whose Nashville-based company, Energy Fit Solutions, is developing the subdivision.

“It’s a very green community,” he said. “We wanted a community that embraces the idea of conservation and energy efficiency.”

Age-in-place features

Homes in Ellersly feature water infiltration trenches, which capture rainwater and return it to the soil instead of allowing it to run off. The houses are arranged to catch the sun’s rays for optional solar systems. Garages are wired for electric vehicle charging stations, and homes are built to Energy Star standards, Merville said.

Phase one of Ellersly will include 35 homes ranging from 1,400 to 2,000-plus square feet. Prices range from $159,000 to $249,000.

Features include open floor plans, main-level master bedrooms, granite, stainless appliances, front porches and private gardens. Age-in-place features include stepless entries and wide doorways that can accommodate a wheelchair or walker.

Those features, and Kingston Springs’ convenient location, have the area primed for growth, Merville said.

“Kingston Springs is as close (to downtown Nashville) as Highway 96 in Franklin and is an easier commute than Murfreesboro,” he said. “It has everything other communities around Nashville have, plus natural scenery that can be hard to find in other places.”